Brooke Rollins named as US agriculture secretary
US president-elect Donald J. Trump has nominated Brooke Rollins as agriculture secretary, heading the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The US senate will still need to approve the nomination.
Brooke Rollins is currently president of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank, which has worked closely with the Republican Party’s election campaign team.
Cooperation with president-elect Trump
Rollins has been working together with Trump for many years. During Trump’s first term in the White House, she headed the Domestic Policy Council, an advisory council to the government on domestic policy. Prior to that, she served as the president of a conservative think tank in Texas.
As secretary of agriculture, Rollins most likely is going to meet Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has been nominated to become health secretary of health and human services. Kennedy has announced his intention to become involved in agriculture and agribusiness.
Rollins will succeed Tom Vilsack, who served as agriculture secretary under president Biden after having done the same during the 2 terms of president Obama (2009-2017).
USDA: A nationwide operating department
The USDA is a nationwide operating department with seats in every county, employing about 100,000 staff. News agency Reuters mentioned that the federal ministry’s budget in 2024 was $437 billion.
The USDA is not only about agriculture, but also about food policy, food education and as such also responsible for the production and blending of biofuels. More than once, president-elect Trump has called the agricultural sector the “backbone” of the US.
